Water

Elemental powers in the palm of her hand, and it won't be enough to save her. Involuntarily introduced to a life of magic, Kaitlyn becomes part of an organization hell-bent on saving the Earth. Just as she starts to adjust, the organization divides and a rogue member holds Kaitlyn hostage. Now one of the most terrifying men the human race has to offer stands between her and Earth's survival. More

All of the elemental powers are in the palm of her hand, and it won't be enough to save her. When Kaitlyn Alder is involuntarily introduced to a life of magic, she becomes part of an organization hell-bent on saving the Earth. Just as her new-found life holds promises of purpose, romance, and friendship, the organization divides and a rogue member holds Kaitlyn hostage. Now one of the most terrifying men the human race has to offer stands between her and Earth's survival.

Terra is author of the eco-fantasy novels in the Akasha Series, 'Water', 'Air', 'Fire' and 'Earth', as well as the Painted Maidens Trilogy. Terra was born and raised in Colorado but has since lived in California, Texas, Utah, North Carolina, and Virginia. Terra served a 5½ year enlistment in the Marine Corp, has earned her bachelor's and master's degree and presently runs the language services division of a small business.

Terra currently lives in a suburb of Washington, DC with her husband of sixteen years and three children.

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Reviews

Review by:
Jeanne Jernegan
on Sep. 26, 2013 :
This book felt more like a "stockholm syndrome" story. It felt more like a man had written it or a fanatical tree hugger! Very disturbing that from beginning to end Kaitlain is abducted, betrayed, abused and used by the very people purporting to live a green lifestyle... the absurdity is Kaitlain is suppose to be Gaia herself, yet she's constantly mistreated. Which makes it hard to believe anyone in the "7" really care anything for her, personally.

This is a no win situation, she's doomed if she works with them (they can't be trusted) and she's doomed if she doesn't. Story left me too disturbed to like it.(review of free book)

Review by:
sarah uk
on March 12, 2013 :
(Source: Downloaded for free from Amazon.co.uk)
Kaitlyn thinks she’s dead when she’s swept up in an avalanche while snowboarding, the last thing she expects is to wake up locked in a small room which looks nothing like a hospital.
Deciding to try and escape, Kaitlyn breaks out through a small window, and puts up one hell of a fight when once again cornered, but there’s no easy escape for her, especially when she finds out that the people who are holding her have cleared all her stuff from her apartment, and basically made out that she is dead!

Kaitlyn is in for even more of shock though when it is finally explained to her where she is and why. She has been taken by a group called ‘the seven’, who are trying to fight environmental problems using magical powers, and Kaitlyn is their new Gaia – the woman who has magical powers over earth, wind, water, and fire.
What exactly do these people expect from Kaitlyn though? How is she supposed to use these powers? And will her life ever be the same again?

I’m not really sure where to start with this book. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything like this. There was action, there was romance, there was science, environmental stuff, and then there was magic! Such an odd combination! All the way through this book I was in two minds – did I like it? Did I want to keep reading? Could I skip this bit about phytoplankton? But I have to say that when I got to the end, I was strangely invested in finding out what happened to Kaitlyn next!

Kaitlyn was a feisty, headstrong, stubborn woman. She was all alone in the world, and lacked human company, but she sure had one hell of a temper, and put up one hell of a fight when she felt that she’d been kidnapped. She was may have even been a touch over-zealous in her attempts to escape, and it was easy to see how she made some enemies during her first escape attempt.
Kaitlyn really was a feisty little madam, who had some very definite ideas about what she would and wouldn’t do, and made a big point of getting what she wanted when she wanted it, even if her demands were downright unattainable or OTT, this is not a girl I’d want to mess with!

The other characters in this book ‘the seven’ who had basically kidnapped her, and led the world to believe that she was dead were a real assortment of characters. Kaitlyn seemed to like Micah the best, although he later showed her just how far he was prepared to go to train her and keep her in line. Shawn was a nasty piece of work, Alex was the nice guy, and Cato was the Yoda of the group.
I was really unsure who out of this bunch was really trustworthy, and Kaitlyn’s ideas on this subject changed during the book too. These characters were well fleshed out though, and had very distinct personalities.

Part of the storyline in this book is about ecology, and how the planet is changing and being damaged etc. ‘The Seven’ are trying to combat these problems and want Kaitlyn to use her powers to keep the planet in balance. This was quite an interesting and unique angle for the use of magical powers I must say, and also a great way to get this sort of environmental message out there, even if I can’t say that I particularly enjoyed reading about the phytoplankton!
I did like the storyline in this book though, and I thought that even the nastier parts of the story were well written and not too disturbing, which could have easily been the case. This book is new adult or adult, not young adult though, and did contain sexual situations, both consensual and non-consensual.

As I said I did think that the ideas in this book were a bit of an odd combination at points, but in the end I did enjoy this book, and the little cliff-hanger at the end really did make me want to read the next book!
Overall; and interesting combination of action, romance, adventure, environmental issues, and magic!
7 out of 10.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by:
Midu Hadi
on Feb. 20, 2013 :
What I liked:
the whole idea about people close to nature & how they could draw energy from it was interesting.

the story started well and kept my interest as it progressed.

the cover is really pretty!

What I didn't like:

the Seven were short on funds...so much so that they didn't eat too well most days, yet they could travel all around the world?

I don't think causing an increase in the phytoplankton population can be that easy and even if it was, there are always consequences when humans think they know better than nature.

Kaitlyn's attraction to Micah was too insta-love for me! She accepts everything too easily-kidnapping, almost maiming, almost rape, killing of other Gaias etc.

How nobody, even wise Cato, could see how unstable Shawn really was.

I understood Micah's reasons for what he did in the greenhouse & why Shawn hatched that plan too. What I didn't get was how Kaitlyn could forgive either of them.(review of free book)

Review by:
Michelle Proulx
on Jan. 21, 2013 :
Water is a well-written and engaging eco-adventure romance that kept me intrigued from start to finish. I very much enjoyed the pro-environmental conservation message of the novel . You can tell that the author feels very strongly about this subject, and it is showcased beautifully in her writing. I also liked that the magic system was based somewhat off of scientific principles, which grounded the fantasy element of the story and made it seem less far fetched that magic like that could exist in this day and age.

My main qualm was with the protagonist, Kaitlyn. I felt that she under-reacted to a very evident threat early on in the book, to the extent that it was almost unbelievable. And then she–and every other character in the book–continued to underestimate that threat until the betrayal inevitably occurred and it was too late for her to take any action to save herself. This is not to say I didn’t understand why she acted that way, but as a reader it frustrated me, and as a result I had trouble connecting with the protagonist and feeling sorry for her.

Qualms aside, Water was a fascinating book, and one that I will definitely pick up again in the future.(review of free book)

Review by:
Christopher Starr
on Aug. 17, 2012 :
Let me get this out the way: Kaitlyn Alder is BADASS!

And now for the more subdued part of my review:
I read Water as part of the OrangeBerry Summer Splash Blog Tour and was introduced to Kaitlyn, her elemental powers and the eco-fantasy genre all in one fell swoop. And Terra Harmony, the author, doesn't waste any time throwing you into the action. Some readers like to move into stories gradually--they want to learn about the sunlight, the intricate shapes the shadows make dappling on pavement, the sounds of children playing from the nearby park wafting through the air. Yeah, screw all that! Harmony introduces us to Kaitlyn as she's snowboarding for her life, trying to outrun an avalanche.

She fails.

And that's just the first chapter.

From here we learn that Kaitlyn is more than a globe-trotting, freelance photographer with intimacy issues: she's a Gaia--a person with the ability to manipulate the elements (Air, Wind, Water, and Fire). Problem is Kaitlyn's all power with none of the control. Where we'd love a light breeze, your girl is causing Hurricane Katrina. Not only that, she's in the custody of an eco-friendly (but pretty freaking poor), shadowy group called The Seven. They lock her up, don't tell her anything, vaguely answer her questions, are footloose and fancy free with sedatives, and promise to teach her about her powers.

What I like about Kaitlyn is that she takes none of this lying down: she puts a hurting on everyone until she gets the answers the wants or until her curiosity is peaked. And she's got a smart-ass sense of humor. She's all attitude, has great one-liners and a good right cross--it's more like Captain Planet meets The Last Airbender with a little Firestarter thrown in there for good measure.

I'm gonna stop so I don't ruin it: Water and its follow up, Air, are both available now and Book #3, Earth, is due out pretty soon. It's a good, action-packed read. But I do have to say, Kaitlyn's journey is no walk in the park: just because it has fantasy in the genre, don't think this is Hunger Games. Harmony deals with some very adult themes in a very adult way and some of the sex scenes in this book are non-consensual.

I have a couple of cons. First, I LOVE villains. Not a fan of this guy. At all. For all the crap he put Kaitlyn through, what he wanted was neither clear nor really all that deep. Ever. And the emotional component underpinning his actions and his goals was too little too late. I didn't get the why of it all and, without that, I couldn't get the point. Other than Kaitlyn learning her powers, the villain didn't give me much to go on. Luckily, Kaitlyn's story is strong enough to go on.

Beyond that, this is ultimately about saving the environment, right? Save the trees and feed the plankton and global warming stuff. It isn't even that governments and companies don't love their trees--it's that they don't want to pay to save them. So if you have a group of people who can fix the environment, through whatever means, who cares? Why be clandestine when you're doing the stuff everybody wants? I couldn't understand the bigger conflict; it was alluded to late in the book but never really clear.

That aside, would I recommend the book? Absolutely. Ms. Harmony is building a bigger story here and Water is only the beginning. It's certainly worth diving in and seeing it to the finish line.(review of free book)

Review by:
Christina Smith
on Aug. 11, 2012 :
I have mixed feelings about this book. I love the cover, and the story itself was good, it was fast paced, maybe a little too much at times, but it definitely kept me reading. It was original for me, since I have never read anything like it. I liked most of the characters, just thought some of their actions weren't very believable. The idea was great, saving the world, and again original(for me).

But there were things that about it that I didn't like. First, I found most of the jokes corny, and odd how Kaitlyn would joke when her life was in danger. I also found it strange how she just accepted here captivity and didn't question more of what was happening. The relationship between her and Micah developed way too quickly. And I don't think she showed enough emotion after her episode with Shawn on the Island.

At times during the book I wasn't sure if I would read the next one, but now that I have finished it, I need to see what will happen next.(review of free book)

Review by:
Gregory S. Lamb
on Aug. 06, 2012 :
When Kaitlyn Alder, the main character in "Water," Terra Harmony's second installment of the "Akasha" series gets caught in an avalanche while snowboarding, her life takes an unexpected path. Kaitlyn finds herself on a mysterious island where she learns she possesses unique powers.

Ms. Harmony uses well-crafted prose and dialogue to develop a cast of characters who possess unique powers. Unbeknown to her, Kaitlyn Alder's powers are the missing ingredient the others need to harness the power of the Chakra, a mystical spot on present day earth. Their mission involves rescuing the earth from global climate change.

Ms. Harmony cleverly sprinkles in themes that cover individual choice and situations where individuals are deprived of choice. She also hits the ecology button pretty hard. Be ready to learn a bit about oceanography while you're at it. Ms. Harmony's creative framework for this story grabs the reader's attention with a moving plot that covers lots of geography. Reading "Water" will make you want to pick up the others in the series.(review of free book)

Review by:
Jeann W
on July 07, 2012 :
I was lucky enough to receive a copy of Water from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Like the fluidity of water, the story continually evolved from one simple concept of a girl being held captive, to her becoming a Gaia (a controller of the elements) in order to save the environment, and more. Environmental issues are a topical issue, and having a controller of the elements to deal with these issues is definitely a unique and relevant take on the paranormal genre.

I was hooked on the riveting story and the great ability of the author to convey the character's emotions. Scenarios and the complexity of the relationships between people within a secret organisation are pictured vividly. Kaitlyn, the protagonist who can control the elements, has a great refreshing quality about her, able to think on her feet and to handle her situation (however difficult it becomes) with evolving strength.

As an elemental magic user, I enjoyed the scenes where Kaitlyn learnt to harness her abilities and to tap into the power of nature. It's quite believable and not too technical (unlike Rachel Caine's Weather Warden series) and clearly depicts how the power is being used.

This is definitely not a YA story, but definitely an adult read, as there are some incredibly dark themes which are delved into later on. It was surprising as the first half of the book felt like a YA book evolving with the romance between Kaitlyn and some other characters, before it takes a turn for the darker half of the book. Without revealing too much, I felt quite disturbed at the circumstances which Kaitlyn had to endure (there was rape involved), and hope that justice makes its way to the sequel.

Featuring several twists and turns in the storyline, ulterior motives, and a host of interesting characters, I recommend Water to any mature reader out there who can handle the darker themes within this book. It really hooks you in and deals with some heavy emotional themes, and by the time I finished the title I was ready for more.(review of free book)

Review by:
Tanychy
on July 03, 2012 :
Oh how much I love when book manage to surprise me! This is one of them.

This story is something new for me. The story still contains magic elements but in the same time is really realistic. Story about elements is not new. We all know about four basic elements and fifth spirit element and also story about Gaia is not new, but what is new (at least for me) is that the author put those elements together nicely. Not just that she also created relations between characters so that you're not only interested in story about elements and their rulers but also in relations between characters.

Water is magic story about basic elements. Every element can be controlled separately but only Gaia can control them all. When Kaitlyn finds herself on one unknown place and when she discovers everything about elements her life changes completely. She meets members of The Seven organization and they're hell-bent on saving the Earth. As in every organization you never know who to trust especially if you're new there.

I won't tell you more about the story, you should discover it all by yourselves. I find this story really interesting. It kept my attention from first till last page. I expect the story to become even better. Only thing that could have been better is the end. For me everything happened too fast. But as there will be more book in series the real end I hope will be better.

Yet another thing this story is probably not appropriated for younger readers. It contains some violent scenes. Speaking of I can't remember the last time I wanted to slap someone so much as I wanted to slap "somebody" in this book. When I think about it it's not only one person (you'll know who I'm talking about).

All in all this was a really interesting and nice read. Oh I almost forgot. The covers! They look amazing!
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by:
mandy I Read Indie anderson
on June 28, 2012 :
Kaitlyn is trying to outrace an avalanche but she is not quick enough. Instead of waking up as the dinner to a pack of wolves or even dead, she is waking up in a bed on a tropical island. How did she end up here? And why does she get the feeling it’s not safe? Soon answers start coming, albeit not quick enough, and Kaitlyn is learning new things about herself she never knew. She soon accepts her fate and starts learning how to control her powers. But before she can get a hold of this new life she is kidnapped once again. This time her captor is anything but nice. He has a plan and torture is just the beginning.

So here I was about to start Water and totally thought I was going to get a Tree Hugging, Save the Earth lecture. What I actually got was anything but. It was a fabulous story with a unique storyline. Water was fresh and unlike anything I have ever read before. And the flow and balance of the book was perfect. You got the right amount of suspense, romance, and action. The author gave the right amount of detail in the book too, which left me smiling. (I sometimes will skip over several paragraphs in a book due to too much detail.)

Kaitlyn is a brave, yet slightly sarcastic, woman who rose out of the ashes and only became stronger. She wasn't going to let getting kidnapped bring her down. She got fierce and was a force to be reckoned with. When up against an obstacle she always found a way to overcome it. This is no timid little girl. No way, nuh uh! I loved her and found myself wondering what she (and Micah) was up to while I was laboring away cleaning my house. Don't you hate that...knowing the characters are having more fun in their book while you are cleaning and working? BOO!

But how can I go on and on about how great this book was when there is a rape involved? Do I come off as an insensitive, heartless wretch? And here I am lying in bed at 1 am writing part of this review knowing it won’t wait until morning. This book was great and heartbreaking all at the same time. I hated some of the things that happened in the book (referring to the rape) but the other things made it great. And those great things kept me reading; it as if I couldn’t get enough of the book.

I don’t usually read the excerpts from the next books at the end…but this one I had to. I am completely and utterly ready to get my hands on Air. It is a must! I have to know what happens to these characters I instantly fell in love with. What will happen to Kaitlyn? Will lives be shattered even more? Will love triumph over evil?

Water is definitely not YA. So please keep that in mind when you are deciding if you want to read it or not.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by:
Lexie Snyder
on June 20, 2012 :
I read Water after a link was provided to me via GoodReads. Water has beautiful artwork for its cover. I was very excited to read this book, especially since I enjoy urban fantasy.
Kaitlyn is a photographer who lost her parents at a young age and has been independent for several years. As a young woman she is caught up in an avalanche and wakes up as a prisoner on an island. After several escape attempts she is finally told why she is being held captive.

The Seven is a centuries old group of eco-minded individuals. Most individuals in the group have their own special powers. Kaitlyn is the Gaia, meaning Mother Earth. She has powers over all the elements, but must learn to control them before they cause tremendous disasters. After learning this information, she chooses to stay in the group.

The group consists of Shawn, whose first introduction to Kaitlyn consists of him attacking her. Micah, her protector
Cato, the leader, who has a distinct connection to Kaitlyn, but you’ll have to read the book to find out what it is…
Alex, the only person without powers, he does their logistics and technical issues.
There are other individuals that are in the organization that you meet along the way.

Katie practices manipulating and controlling her powers every day with Micah, who is her protector. He has an almost magnetic pull towards Kaitlyn and watching their interactions is very interesting. She is a kick-butt heroine, who is strong-willed, and determined to succeed in any situation. I enjoyed her snarky comments and her ability to succeed in any situation, even if it meant turning everything upside down, literally.

As she, Alex, Micah, and Shawn leave for their first assignment she is captured and held prisoner on the Galapagos Islands. SPOILER ALERT* The island can feel Kaitlyn’s power and reacts negatively to it. She could literally sink the island if not careful. In addition, the island drains Kaitlyn of her powers. If this and the physical torture she had to endure were the worst things that happened I could have dealt better with this passage. However, she is raped and the author portrays it as it happens in real life. This continues for weeks, and she is tortured over and over, and raped with different objects. If I had been Kaitlyn I would have immediately done everything in my power to sink the island and kill my captors. *END OF SPOLER

I think most women will cringe during this passage, and anyone who has experienced this will have a very strong negative reaction. I did like that Kaitlyn kept her head and was determined to control her own destiny. Personally, I think the Terra could have gotten her point across in a different manner SPOILER* that didn’t include rape. *END SPOILER However, it’s her prerogative to choose how she wants to express her message.

The book was very interesting and completely different from all of the other elemental power books I have read. I would have liked to have a deeper explanation of the characters powers. Also, it was so frustrating that no one would listen to Kaitlyn and even Micah’s concerns about Shawn. Cato, is so stubborn and as leader of the Seven he is archaic in his thinking. I wanted to shake him many times throughout the book! However, that just shows how much Terra draws you into her world and characters. I will say, there wasn’t any mystery as to who the antagonist was going to be. Terra made that very clear from the beginning of the novel.

The book ends with and unexpected twist that leaves you wondering exactly what will happen next. It’s not as dramatic as some other cliff-hangers I’ve experienced, but it immediately makes you want to get your hands on the second book.

As a debut novel, Terra Harmony does an exceptional job writing. I never would have guessed this was a debut novel. Her protagonist and antagonist are both extremely strong characters and I am interested to see what will happen next. Will the antagonist succeed in his goal…keep reading to find out!(review of free book)

Review by:
ELSA CARRION
on June 13, 2012 :
Water…like the cover…I loved the meaning behind it…although sometimes a little much wasn’t a fan of all the description about the reversal of the situations they were to assist. However, if you like environmental issues and if you are an Eco-fanatic or even a tree hugger then you will definitely like this book. I finally was able to figure out the meaning behind the statement “the rape of mother earth” wow!

Katie, Micah, Shawn, Cato & Alex are the main characters. Katie lost her mother when she was small, don’t remember if the story mentioned who raised her, but she grows up and becomes a professional photographer that goes around the world and snaps away for money. She ends up in a compound called Chakra after a skiing accident. The Chakra is run by Cato who is also the Rais, with the help of Micah, Shawn & Alex. Each one has type of special energy/power that is assisted/made stronger by the elements, except for Alex, he is a normal. Katie is what they call a Gaias aka Mother Earth, Micah is her Ardwyad help and control her power, Shawn is a crazy Medwin and well Alex their is their technical adviser.

The story is interesting it helps realize that there will definitely be a problem in the future with our natural resources if we do not take matters into our hands. The ideas and problems that are mentioned in the story are well laid out and work well with the plot and story line. There are two situations in the story that I think might be for older teens, but I do love the message behind the story and the issues about our Natural Resources. The ending is a whopping cliff hanger that I will most definitely be looking forward to the continuation.(review of free book)

Review by:
Brittany Weaver
on May 16, 2012 :
* I was given a free copy of this book for review purposes. The review is based solely on my opinion and was not influenced by author or publisher.

Meet The Seven. A centuries old collection of eco-minded individuals that command the elements in an attempt to maintain the Earth's natural balance. Their motives may be pure but their methods seem a bit archaic.

Kaitlyn, a jet-setting photographer is literally ripped from the life she has made for herself and manipulated into becoming a member of The Seven. She is basically kidnapped, treated like an animal, confronted with some scary, earth shattering truths about herself and then thrust into rigorous training. All that can take it's toll on a girl, but there is one thing that might make it a little better, Micah with his gorgeous green eyes. Any progress Micah makes with Kaitlyn is swiftly unraveled by Shawn, another gorgeous but not so friendly member of The Seven. Cato, current leader of The Seven, appears to be oblivious to the fact that his little organization is coming apart at the seams. Can they really help keep the world balanced when they can't get along themselves?

In her debut novel, Terra Harmony grabs your attention at the first sentence and takes you for a ride that doesn't stop, not even at the last page. The ending of the book is so abrupt that it left me gasping for 'Air', which just happens to be the second book in the Akasha series.

I had a hard time putting this book down. I felt that the story line moved along at a great pace and kept my interest peaked the entire time. Characters were well developed and I loved how the author slowly introduced their backgrounds in bits and pieces. Otherwise I think the information can be a bit overwhelming. This is a must read for fans of the fantasy genre. And as a bonus, the cover art is amazing.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Elemental powers in the palm of her hand...and it won't be enough to save her. When Kaitlyn Alder is involuntarily introduced to a life of magic, she becomes part of an organization hell-bent on saving the Earth. Just as her new-found life holds promises of purpose, romance, and friendship, the organization divides and a rogue member holds Kaitlyn hostage. Now one of the most terrifying men the human race has to offer stands between her and Earth's survival.

Lissa's Review:

I had never heard of “Water” until I received an email for sign-up reviews. I was immediately dazzled by the cover art. There was something magical about the single drop of water suspended above a lone hand. That was what first drew me into taking a peek at the pages beneath. I was not disappointed. As for being her first attempt it doesn’t show as Terra Harmony had the ability to straight away draw me into Kaitlyn’s story.

She seemingly effortlessly moved the story along all while plummeting me deep and deeper into the life of Kaitlyn in a swirl of emotions and unspoken Stockholm syndrome. Her ability to capture the syndrome without focusing on it took me by surprise. However I did get more than I expected and was charged with excitement from the start. Harmony has a fanciful way with words no matter which character she was working with. She manages to take hold of the characters and develop them in ways that leaves a part of you that developing a love/hate with each one as you turn the pages.

“Water” takes you on a page turning journey as Kaitlyn discovers who and what she is truly is and is capable of. “Water” is packed with just the right amount of mystery and suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat to the very end and leave you begging for more, more and more!

But let me be clear, “Water” is not for the faint of hearts as Kaitlyn story develops and twist and turns are introduced things get beyond ugly. For this reason I would suggest a rating of NC-17 and suggest that you pick up a copy and start reading today….. You will not be disappointed as Harmony leaves you so many haunting questions and with a true cliff hanger that will leave you digging in your sofa cushions to scurry ups the change to jump into Air.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by:
Jax Jones
on May 15, 2012 :
The concept for this book has great potential!

The overall account did not reach it's full potential, and the narrative lacked a natural flow.

Having said that, the character interaction could have had a little more depth, though the dialogue was quite good, and where the overall narrative lacked flow, the dialogue did not, providing essential information pertaining to the concept.

There could have been more in the narrative explaining each character's role and the powers they controlled. Also, their use of their powers could have been more detailed.
The characters too could have had more depth, I struggled a bit to connect with them - and in the case of the main character, there was a little too much contradiction.

an example of this contradiction is evident in the events after the green house test.
Firstly, as Micah's role is supposedly that of a protector, he should never have even considered the test as being applicable, regardless of his relationship to Kaitlyn, and having already known her feelings toward Shawn, and their past history, it should have occurred to him that further to his idea of the distraction, Kaitlyn would not have agreed with Shawn watching!
Secondly, as Kaitlyn's character was naturally inclined to avoid intimate contact with others, the breach of trust during the green house test would have assured that she never trusted Micah (or anyone for that matter) again. She would certainly not have forgiven him so readily, nor would her body have found him remotely attractive.

In other areas, I felt the narrative needed more words.
a prime example of this is the first chapter, where it is not 100% clear that the author is using a metaphor... though by the end of the chapter, you can surmise as such. However the use of a few more words, and that could be neatly remedied.

A little rough around the edges, but overall the concept has fantastic promise!
And there were definitely sections that were interesting and well written.
I battled to read this, and quite often had to go back and re-read sections to clarify.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by:
shyd
on May 07, 2012 :
This book wasn't what I expected at all and that's why I loved it. It was a truly unique story and a great concept. Let me start off by saying the cover was so amazing. The simple element of the ball of water was all that was needed. It said so much about the book already.

This book jumped right into the action with us meeting Kaitlyn who I loved instanly. Kaitlyn has a knack for weird things always happening around her. She is rescued early on and wakes up at a secret location. We soon learn that she can't leave and she meets the Seven. Who are the Seven? That becomes a mystery that I have to keep reading to find out about.

As Kaitlyn learns more she learns she is a Gaia which is Mother of Earth. We soon learn that the Seven is an environmental group that trains people to help take care of the Earth. The Seven have found Kaityln and want her to work for them. I loved that even when Kaitlyn was being held she was still kick butt. The snark and wit was so funny. I loved everytime she said something and laughed out loud a few times. The longer Kaitlyn is with the Seven she meets a few people.

One of those people is Micah and I liked him from the start. I felt the same magentic pull that Kate felt for him. I could tell they were made for each other and the chemistry between them was amazing. As much as I liked Micah was just as much as I hated Shawn. The author did a great job of fleshing out the character of Shawn but I would have liked to learn more about Micah.

As the story progresses there is a scene that I didn't see comingand was completely blindsided by. Bravo to the author for slipping this in and not making it as awful a scene as it could have been. I felt Kate's pain and betrayal. The story continues to build and some events unfold that cause Kate to end up with her tormentor Shawn. I couldn't wait until Kate could get away from him and loved her strength with all she endured I have to again give kudos to the author for the cliffhanger ending. I have to continue this series to see how it plays out.

Overall I loved this book. The author obiviously did her homework and got her points across about the environment in a unique way. I loved learning about these things through the eyes of Kaitlyn. I loved how vivid the descriptions were and how well the author pulled it all together. This book truly had a unique concept and was different than anything I have read in a while. I highly recommend this book to others and am looking foward to seeing where Terra Harmony takes us next.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by:
Julie Odron
on April 28, 2012 :
When Terra Harmony contacted me to review Water, I took one look at the cover and knew that I had to read this book. That and it was already sitting in my TBR pile over on Goodreads. The gorgeous simplicity of this cover drew me in before I even cracked the book open.

Kaitlyn is just an extremely awesome character. The minute I started reading her voice I instantly fell in love with her. She's sassy, sarcastic, fun and resilient to no end. The surrounding characters are a different story all together, and in a completely good way. I found them to be mysterious, never truly knowing their true intentions. You start out thinking one way about a character but then you would be quickly carried in another direction. This was true for all of the characters except Kaitlyn and maybe Alex.

To further my love for Kaitlyn, Terra Harmony wrote Water in first-person. You all know how much I love first-person, and it allowed me to connect to Kaitlyn on a deeper level.

I have always loved stories about elemental power, but Water takes it in a different direction becoming a story about so much more. There's a whole history that comes together piece by piece, not just about The Seven, but also for each individual in the story.

The plot is thick with mystery and struggles just as the characters are. I was glued to the pages, anxious and sad as the pages dwindled down. There were light-hearted, carefree moments, sexy moments, tortuous moments, sad moments; there are so many little things in Water that accumulate to make this an enjoyable, unique read that is addicting. I can also say that I was so focused on Kaitlyn and her struggles to become part of The Seven that I was blindsided by the twists. Let's just say, I'm so happy that Air (the second book in the Akasha series) is already out! The ending isn't really a cliff-hanger, but it still has that little bump that will have you NEEDING to read more as soon as you finish.

If you are looking for a fresh, unique Paranormal or Fantasy, then you need to pick this book up because it will swiftly sweep you away. Reader Discretion: This is a novel written for adults, while it's true that maturity has nothing to do with age, I will say that there are some scenes that will make even some adult readers uncomfortable, but they are necessary to portray a certain level of desperation that turned selfish and evil.
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

Review by:
Christie Rich
on April 27, 2012 :
The premise of the story, the amazingly beautiful cover and recommendations from a few friends who had rated the book highly are what made me want to read Water. First of all, I like Terra's writing style. Reading this book was easy and most often fun.

That being said, I didn't connect with the story or the characters as much as I wanted to. Don't get me wrong, the story is good, but a few things threw me off. Kailyn is portrayed as strong and snarky, but at times this mutates into a total disregard for other people. I am finding it hard to give a completely honest review here, because I don't like giving spoilers. Let's just say that Kaitlyn finds out she has negatively impacted the earth without realizing it, and yet later on in the story she does things without thinking about how it will impact the planet even though she is supposed to be earth conscious.

As with other reviewer's, I felt the romance did not flow naturally. Although I did think the characters were strong.

Overall this was an enjoyable read. Actual rating is 3.5 stars, but I always round up. This is an original story that has many great elements (haha), and if you like snarky heroines, Kaitlyn is your gal. The twists and turns keep you wondering what will happen to the very end.
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

Review by:
Suzanne Pringle
on April 26, 2012 :
First off I was able to read this in a day. That tells you that I really enjoyed the book. It says that this was a book that sucked me in and I couldn't put it down.

I like books with a strong heroine. I enjoyed the fact that there were a bad guy and a good guy even though both are supposed to be good. The main character has magic abilities and is able to control the environment.

Which is my only complaint. I am not much of an environmentalist and I felt this book kinda went a little too much that way. But that could just be me and my opinion.

This book was fast-paced, an enjoyable read, and a page-turner. It has action, magic, s*x (not overly graphic) but no real love crushes. It has a kidnapping but no torture. This is definitely an adult book for sure.

Will be looking forward to the next one. The ending to "Water" had a good ending but diffidently left you with a taste to see what might the future hold.
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

Review by:
mdlagarland
on April 25, 2012 :
WOW! This is a great beginning to a new series. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next one in the series.

Terra does a great job of developing characters and story that are completely believable. The fear, skepticism, anger and curiosity all expressed by Kaitlyn make her seem like one of my friends.

[ I fell in love with Micah right along with her and then I hated him with her as well. I think I hated him longer than she did! I could see the conflict with Shawn early on but had no idea it would take such a nasty turn. I have a few ideas in mind for his punishment!

I thought Kaitlyn's use of the leaves, dirt and water to escape were original and clever. (hide spoiler)]

There were a couple of grammatical errors that threw me for a loop when I was reading and I had to bad to re-read in those spots to make sure I understood what was going on.

Overall, a very well written story and I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next!
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

Review by:
Kel Donovan-Roberts
on April 25, 2012 :
Wow, what a ride. This book goes until the very last page, no slowing down at all. A very captivating read, starts on the first page and doesn't let up. I love the characters, very easy to relate to, even evil Shawn (I understood why he's a jerk, but I don't like him). Kaitlyn was awesome. I love the fact that she's mouthy and tough but still at times a girl. She cries, whines, and pouts but also kicks ass.

Definitely need the next book.
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

Review by:
aliasnaynay
on April 25, 2012 :
Kaitlyn Alder is introduced to a life of magic, she becomes part of an organization hell-bent on saving the Earth. Just as her newfound life holds promises of purpose, romance, and friendship, the organization divides and a rogue member holds Kaitlyn hostage. Now one of the most terrifying men the human race has to offer stands between her and Earth's survival.

This was an amazing story...the action begins right from the beginning of the book, having you hanging on the edge of your seat. The author has created a world that you are sucked into, and then she takes you on a roller- coaster ride of twist and turns. I could not read fast enough.
WATER is a fast-paced read, with exceptional characters and I loved the storyline. There are two more books that follow, the next in the series is AIR, I can not wait to read it. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes an action packed story.

I recieved this book from the author for an honest review....Terra Harmony certainly should be put on your must read list.
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

Review by:
aliasnaynay
on April 25, 2012 :
Kaitlyn Alder is introduced to a life of magic, she becomes part of an organization hell-bent on saving the Earth. Just as her newfound life holds promises of purpose, romance, and friendship, the organization divides and a rogue member holds Kaitlyn hostage. Now one of the most terrifying men the human race has to offer stands between her and Earth's survival.

This was an amazing story...the action begins right from the beginning of the book, having you hanging on the edge of your seat. The author has created a world that you are sucked into, and then she takes you on a roller- coaster ride of twist and turns. I could not read fast enough.
WATER is a fast-paced read, with exceptional characters and I loved the storyline. There are two more books that follow, the next in the series is AIR, I can not wait to read it. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes an action packed story.

I recieved this book from the author for an honest review....Terra Harmony certainly should be put on your must read list.
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

Review by:
Mindy Janicke
on Feb. 22, 2012 :
I read this book straight through. NO LIE. I could not put it down. Terra HOOKED me in and left me searching like a mad woman at the end trying to find more to read. I NEVER read blurbs from the next book. NEVER. I did on this one. Usually reading the blurb to the next book leaves me crazier than I already am at finishing the first book. TASK TOTALLY COMPLETE. Not only was I frantic to read more, reading the blurb to AIR made me even crazier for more.

When I asked Terra to classify this book, she first stated "Contemporary Eco-Fantasy and the books might also fall under adventure, paranormal romance, or any other number of genres". DO NOT LET THE ECO-FANTASY scare you. I would never even have known what that meant. It now makes sense. And if all Eco Fantasy books are as good as this one, I have found a new genre to LOVE! MANY genre's are in this book and that is another aspect that I love about it.

The book starts out slow. Not in a bad way though. Like wearing our most comfy pajama pants all day long. You just get comfortable in the book and then BAM...your head blows off! Well, mine about did anyway for real! When a book can shock me and I don't see it coming, that my friends is GOOD WRITING! I decided to read this book because of two reasons: 1. the cover (GORGEOUS) and 2. The blurb. I was totally sold!

Our main female character Kaitlyn is a go getter. She stays on the move and seriously challenges herself. A mishap leads her into the biggest adventure of her life. (I can't say much more because I will give too much away).

Micah is one of our lead male characters. Ok I love love love the name Micah. (biased much Mindy...) Micah is a strong lead male, sounds sexy as hell and has an incredible job! I was blown away by this absolutely ORIGINAL idea of a career. There are more leading males and females that you get to know through out the book. It is just a great story and I highly recommend reading it!!
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by:
Pam
on Feb. 12, 2012 :
I found the concept behind this book to be original and very interesting. You have people, whether they were aware of it for most of their lives or just learning about it, who have magical abilities for which they can control the elements. Some may only have the ability to really affect one particular element and then there are others, called Gaias (aka. Mother Earth) who can control them all. Kaitlyn Alder is one such woman.

After what Kaitlyn believes to be a natural disaster that she gets caught up in, she wakes up in a locked room with no idea where she is or how she got there let alone who is keeping her locked up. It's after an escape attempt she meets Micah, whom she finds herself strangely attracted to even though she's basically kept to herself and avoided human contact for many years. With Micah's help, as well as an older man named Cato, Kaitlyn learns about herself and what she is there for. The Seven, which is the organization Cato runs, needs Kaitlyn's help to save the earth. But there is one person who has his own agenda and he also needs Kaitlyn's help and he'll do whatever it takes to get it.

I really enjoyed this book. I found Terra's writing to be very witty and I absolutely loved how sarcastic Kaitlyn was. She used sarcasm in some respects to deal with her situation and at other times, her sarcasm was purely to annoy people. The characters were all well written and likeable to some extent. One character in particular, which I won't mention the name so as to not point out who the bad guy is, is someone you'll love to hate. He is cruel and cold-hearted and only once shows any real emotion for which I found myself feeling sorry for him, albeit briefly.

The story is for the most part fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat, so to speak. The eco-friendly nature of the story is refreshing and informative. There is a bit of romance in there as well, which I love. And I am very much looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Air.

I feel I should mention that there are some grammatical and punctuation errors but I didn't find them particularly distracting while I was reading.

In conclusion, I highly recommend Water.
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

Review by:
Jennifer McDonald
on Jan. 29, 2012 :
This story was a slow start for me. It felt like I was coming in to the middle of a story and I needed to catch up. I spent quite some time trying to figure out what was going on and I ended up putting the book aside for a few days. I kept coming back to it to read some more in hopes that I would get into it. It took me 23 days to read this book but I didn’t give up and now that I am finished I am glad that I didn’t give up on it.
This book had a ton of action and well developed characters. The characters were one of the reasons I did not give up on this book. Kaitlyn was thrown into a situation that she didn’t ask for and answers to her questions were vague. She was kept in the dark about where she was and what was going on so I felt a kindred spirit because I felt the same way reading the beginning of the book. Her frustrations were my frustrations. I couldn’t let her down. Kaitlyn had strength and a sarcasm that I found refreshing. She didn’t give up and neither did I. I liked Micah but felt like there was more to him. I felt like I got surface details but I wanted to know him more. Shawn was just a hateful person and I didn’t like him one bit. Alex was one that I want to see more of. He is like a brother and his presence eases the tension between others.
The writing wasn’t what hindered my reading experience. I just wasn’t sure where it was going and it took me some time to figure it out. The author wrote the story from Kaitlyn’s point of view so the reader learns details at the same pace as Kaitlyn. The story started with an avalanche on a slope and the action continued from there. It seemed that there was always something going on. The story was driven by an organization called the Seven, an organization that protects earth. The elements of water, earth, fire, and wind were all represented. The subtle way the conservation of Earth’s resources was interspersed in the story was excellently written. She handled the intense, sometimes uncomfortable, situations with enough information that the reader got the idea without explicit details.
About halfway into the book I was hooked and enjoyed reading it all the way up to the end. I didn’t have all my questions answered and the ending was a surprise. Hopefully the second book, Air, will answer some of those lingering questions. I am interested to see how the characters develop into the next book. The characters are what saved this book from the “unread book graveyard”. Take a chance, get passed the first part of the book and then you will be rewarded with a great story.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by:
Read Out Loud Publishing
on Jan. 28, 2012 :
Water is the first book in the Akasha series by Terra Harmony and it is a huge… massive… humungous first book! Well, you now know the direction in which this review is headed.

The action in the book starts right on the first page, with the protagonist, Kaitlin caught in an avalanche. She is rescued by the Seven, but finds herself captive in an unknown location. She is soon given the reason of her abduction and that is where the book turns from a mystery to an eco-fantasy. Kaitin is a Gaia or ‘Mother of the Earth’ with powers over all four basic elements of nature, water, air, earth and fire. She soon realises that escape is impossible and reluctantly starts her training to become ‘the Gaia’. A romance is thrown in the mix, as Kaitlin starts falling for her trainer and a whirlwind relationship begins.

The Seven is an organisation which is trying to save the environment and takes it on itself, the responsibility to train the next Gaia. There is a mystery surrounding them and I can’t make up my mind yet, whether they will be the good guys or will turn rogue in the next books. They want to save the earth, but their actions seem to put them in the extremist category, what with the abducting and killing people. To what lengths will they go to achieve their mission? I don’t know and I’ll reserve my judgement till I know more.

Coming back from this digression, Kaitlin is soon sent on her first mission, along with her team. The mission is you every day ‘save the environment’ kind of mission. Everything seems to be going along smoothly, when BAM! The biggest twist in the plot. I did not see this coming and was beginning to imagine the book being only about environmental do-goodness. I can’t give out a spoiler here, but I am really tempted! All I can say is, Kaitlin has to find an inner strength to get through what comes for her next. This is the part which had my stomach in turns. But I still could not stop reading. I wanted to know what happened and how Kaitlin would get out of the mess of epic proportions she found herself in.

Initially, I found Kaitlin to be someone who took too many risks, without really thinking about the consequences. Right from the start she seemed to have an inner strength, but it seemed misdirected. As the book progressed, I began to see her as someone who fought for herself and her beliefs. She has got some of the best dialogues in the books and her comebacks are awesome at times, and fall flat at others. This made her really adorable. All the other characters are really well developed as well. I have to say that I wanted to know more about Micah’s history, his back story. I hope there is much more of that in the books to come. Shawn’s character was terrifically developed. We can feel a pure hatred for him right till the end, when we get a little back-story, and begin to have doubts. However, I cannot see him as anything but the bad guy in the series.

There are a couple of very steamy scenes in the book. There are also a couple of scenes which involve non-consensual sex which a very subtle way of saying that there are scenes where the protagonist is r*ped. But, I have to commend the author for describing these scenes in a way which did not turn this book into a pseudo-erotic romp. The description is just enough to get the impact of the act though. There were parts which had me cringing and afraid to continue reading. I think this shows that the author succeeded in getting the ‘image’ she was trying to portray, across. Consider this my disclaimer! If you can handle it, stay away!!

This may be an eco-fantasy, but the author, for most part, refrains from preaching to us on how to help the environment. The awareness about the environment she tries to create comes through as being intricately woven into the story. Just the way I like it!

I was somehow disappointed by the ending and it all happened too abruptly for me. I wanted some more action! And … the author has chosen the ‘worst’ moment to end the book. It is a cliff-hanger which will leave readers waiting in anticipation for the next book. All I can say is, get the next book out faster!
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by:
Natshane
on Jan. 13, 2012 :
Terra Harmony blew my brains into tiny bits, patched them back and blasted them with a shotgun, over and over again.

You wouldn't believe that Water was the author's debut novel. I was stunned by the amazingness of the story and even more by the writing. This might be one of the hardest review I ever written because I don't think my words could even cover an inch of my thoughts on this book, so for the heads up, I try to keep this review as professional as I could but do not be surprised if I had a sudden outburst and my sentences starts to seem more and more...enthusiastic.

Water was another first for me, I've read about elemental powers before in books such as House of Night and Vampire Academy, but never quite like this. The Elemental powers in the Akasha series existed for a reason, no it was not for self-defense nor for ritualistic purposes, but simply for balancing nature! (Wow, it surely went back to basis huh?) That was why I was inevitably attracted to the story because the story raised environmental awareness with style. I was also awed by the detailed description of every nature's pollution in the story, this proved two things:

1. The author did her homework, praises for the effort on researching!
2. Nothing but a touch of science and facts to make the book more interesting!

Besides the creative idea of having an organization The Seven with magic and elemental powers who helped in resolving Earth's environmental issues, a witty and strong female protagonist had definitely sealed the deal. Sarcasm was Kaitlyn's best suit and her sarcasm never failed to humour me. Kaitlyn reminded me of MacKayla from the Fever series and I enjoyed every moment reading from her POV. Kaitlyn was kidnapped and brought to The Seven headquarters reluctantly and there she learned the truth of her role as a Gaia. I adore Kaitlyn because she is such a strong, independent woman who knows how to crack a joke even at the most critical moment, she has the cool factor!

Another character I came to love is Micah, he's the kind of guy who you would want to lean to for comfort and protectiveness, and he has a sense of humour that could match Kaitlyn's. Shawn on the other hand had endured a tragic loss, and though he is the mean guy in the story, I couldn't help but think he will play a huge role in the upcoming books. And last but not least, the adorable Alex! He is what I called the clown or joker in the story, he makes the story more vibrant and carefree. What a sidekick.

This book captured my very interest, and I can't wait to read Air. The excerpt for the next book had certainly pumped up my adrenaline and make me ache for the next one!

One of the best books of the year!

Reviewed by,
Natasha Anne
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by:
Natshane
on Jan. 13, 2012 :
Terra Harmony blew my brains into tiny bits, patched them back and blasted them with a shotgun, over and over again.

You wouldn't believe that Water was the author's debut novel. I was stunned by the amazingness of the story and even more by the writing. This might be one of the hardest review I ever written because I don't think my words could even cover an inch of my thoughts on this book, so for the heads up, I try to keep this review as professional as I could but do not be surprised if I had a sudden outburst and my sentences starts to seem more and more...enthusiastic.

Water was another first for me, I've read about elemental powers before in books such as House of Night and Vampire Academy, but never quite like this. The Elemental powers in the Akasha series existed for a reason, no it was not for self-defense nor for ritualistic purposes, but simply for balancing nature! (Wow, it surely went back to basis huh?) That was why I was inevitably attracted to the story because the story raised environmental awareness with style. I was also awed by the detailed description of every nature's pollution in the story, this proved two things:

1. The author did her homework, praises for the effort on researching!
2. Nothing but a touch of science and facts to make the book more interesting!

Besides the creative idea of having an organization The Seven with magic and elemental powers who helped in resolving Earth's environmental issues, a witty and strong female protagonist had definitely sealed the deal. Sarcasm was Kaitlyn's best suit and her sarcasm never failed to humour me. Kaitlyn reminded me of MacKayla from the Fever series and I enjoyed every moment reading from her POV. Kaitlyn was kidnapped and brought to The Seven headquarters reluctantly and there she learned the truth of her role as a Gaia. I adore Kaitlyn because she is such a strong, independent woman who knows how to crack a joke even at the most critical moment, she has the cool factor!

Another character I came to love is Micah, he's the kind of guy who you would want to lean to for comfort and protectiveness, and he has a sense of humour that could match Kaitlyn's. Shawn on the other hand had endured a tragic loss, and though he is the mean guy in the story, I couldn't help but think he will play a huge role in the upcoming books. And last but not least, the adorable Alex! He is what I called the clown or joker in the story, he makes the story more vibrant and carefree. What a sidekick.

This book captured my very interest, and I can't wait to read Air. The excerpt for the next book had certainly pumped up my adrenaline and make me ache for the next one!

One of the best books of the year!

Reviewed by,
Natasha Anne
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by:
Maria Violante
on Nov. 27, 2011 :
Water, by Terra Harmony, is a debut novel that is strikingly devoid of many of the common debut novel mistakes. There are occasional errors in spelling, especially where homophones are concerned (“peaking” instead of “peeking”, “wretched” instead of “retched”), but the novel flows smoothly enough even with these problems. My only other real complaint is that the author tends to over-explain or over-describe, especially in the beginning. I hate redundancy as a general rule, so sentences like, “Gaining consciousness was a greater struggle than ever before in my life” make me cringe.

Those are my only real complaints with the novel, and when you’re talking self-published, they aren’t a lot. I do want to make a particular note that the novel is not appropriate for minors. There are adult scenes in there, and not necessarily consensual ones, which is something to keep in mind if you are sensitive about that sort of thing. For what it’s worth, it’s pretty clear that the sex isn’t just added for steam; it makes sense, it drives the plot, and it helps us see a lot further into the mind of the characters.

Speaking of the plot – it’s terrific, not just in creativity or in the “twist”, but also in the pacing. Water is balanced between giant, crashing catastrophes and quiet, tense moments, yet it rarely lags or feels stale or repetitive. That’s a pretty hard thing to do. It starts to really open up about ten percent out of the gate and just really picks up from there.

Water really shines, though, when it comes to characters. They’re highly developed, with good backstories and clear motivations, and they act like real people do. For example – I found myself slightly upset at one point, thinking that the protagonist’s choice to go back to a man with whom her relationship was both illogical and unintelligent – before remembering that I’ve probably done the same thing a few times myself!

As a final note, I’d like to touch on the subject matter. Water focuses on an ancient organization, devoted to extraordinary beings that manipulate elemental magic. As such, the idea is nothing new, right? But Harmony does a decent job of reinventing the genre, adding in clear roots of Paganism/Witchcraft, nature-worship, and modern day environmentalism. The myriad of influences help move the book away from something stale and into the field of a really enjoyable read.

Overall Score: 4.5 Stars. Well-developed characters and a balanced plot that make for an enjoyable, almost guilty read – sort of like a YA novel for grownups.

Reviewed for Maria Violante's review site, http://violantewrites.wordpress.com/2011/11/27/review-water-the-akasha-series-by-terra-harmony/
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

Review by:
Alexia Smit
on Nov. 23, 2011 :
Where to begin… ok, this book is right up my alley! I enjoyed it so much that it kept me up till early hours of the morning – I could not put it down! I love the storyline and how Kaitlyn’s dreams are (in a way) connected to her everyday life and emotions. Terra Harmony is an amazing author!

Kaitlyn is such a kick-ass, sarcastic and witty chick. She rocks my face off! She has this amazing way about her – stands her ground and fights for what she believes in, even when the odds are against her. Her spirit is unbreakable – I admire her strong character.

Now on to the male characters of the book (of course I’m going to give you the 411 on the boys lol). There are 4 male characters that stand out, Alex, Micah, Shawn and Cato. Micah is just a hotness monster of note, the way he is described is drool worthy! At first I was so sure of their connection, but near the end I had my doubts – but it’s only the first book of the series, so we’ll see how things turn out. Shawn, boy oh boy – he is a head case. Some serious issues going on there and his little experiment with Kaitlyn just pissed me off, but that being said, there are deeper emotions at play and in a way I feel for the guy (but I’d still give him a good beating)! Alex – I lurve this dude, too cute for words. Cato is a weird old man, living in his own little world.

Now I have to comment on the cliff hanger ending… wtf?! I NEED to know what’s going to happen!  At the end of the book there is a little sneak preview of the second book in the series, Air – that just made me want to read the second book immediately! I can’t wait for the second installment. This is definitely a series and author I’ll be following closely!
(reviewed within a month of purchase)